Whistleblower Policy

Bay Tides is committed to transparency, accountability, and environmental stewardship. We recognize that people with knowledge of environmental concerns may face barriers to speaking up — whether due to fear of retaliation, uncertainty about whom to tell, or lack of a secure channel.

This policy establishes Bay Tides' framework for receiving, handling, and acting on reports of environmental concerns. It applies to:

• Members of the public reporting environmental concerns in the San Francisco Bay Area
• Bay Tides volunteers, staff, board members, and contractors
• Employees or affiliates of other organizations who wish to report environmental issues

Anyone may submit a report, regardless of their relationship (or lack thereof) to Bay Tides.

We welcome reports concerning any of the following:

• Environmental violations — Breaches of environmental laws or regulations
• Pollution events — Spills, discharges, or contamination of waterways, land, or air
• Illegal dumping — Unauthorized disposal of waste, hazardous materials, or debris
• Regulatory non-compliance — Failure to meet environmental permit conditions or reporting requirements
• Ecosystem threats — Activities that endanger wetlands, wildlife habitats, water quality, or natural resources in the Bay Area
• Climate-related concerns — Undisclosed emissions, greenwashing, or obstruction of climate policy
• Internal concerns — Misconduct, fraud, waste, or ethical violations within Bay Tides itself

If you are unsure whether your concern is relevant, we encourage you to report it. We would rather receive a report that turns out to be outside our scope than miss a genuine environmental threat.

Bay Tides provides multiple channels for reporting environmental concerns:

Anonymous reporting is fully supported and encouraged when you have concerns about identifying yourself. You do not need to provide your name or any contact information to submit a report.

Protecting the identity of reporters is fundamental to our tipline. We implement protections at both the technical and organizational level:

For full details on our data practices, see our Tipline Privacy Policy .

Bay Tides maintains a zero-tolerance policy against retaliation toward anyone who makes a good-faith report of an environmental concern or participates in the investigation of a report.

This non-retaliation commitment applies to:

• Bay Tides volunteers, staff, board members, and contractors
• Anyone who submits a report through any of our reporting channels
• Anyone who cooperates with or assists in the review of a report

Retaliation includes, but is not limited to: termination, demotion, suspension, threats, harassment, intimidation, or any other adverse action taken because of a good-faith report.

If you believe you have experienced retaliation for making a report, please notify Bay Tides immediately through any of our reporting channels.

When a report is submitted through the tipline, the following process is followed:

Individuals who report environmental concerns may be protected by various federal and state laws, including but not limited to:

• California Whistleblower Protection Act (California Labor Code §1102.5) — Protects employees who report suspected violations of law to government or law enforcement agencies
• Clean Water Act (§1367) — Protects employees who report violations of water pollution laws
• Clean Air Act (§7622) — Protects employees who report violations of air quality standards
• Safe Drinking Water Act (§300j-9) — Protects employees who report drinking water safety violations
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (§6971) — Protects employees who report violations of hazardous waste management laws

Disclaimer: This information is provided for general awareness only and does not constitute legal advice. If you are considering reporting environmental violations and are concerned about legal protections, we recommend consulting with an attorney.

While Bay Tides takes all reports seriously, it is important to understand the following limitations:

• We are not law enforcement. Bay Tides is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We do not have enforcement authority, subpoena power, or the ability to compel action by other parties.
• No guaranteed outcomes. We cannot guarantee that any specific action will be taken in response to a report, or that a reported concern will be resolved in a particular way.
• Scope limitations. Our mission focuses on the San Francisco Bay Area environment. Reports outside this scope may be referred to more appropriate organizations if possible.
• Resource constraints. As a nonprofit, our capacity to investigate and act on reports is limited by our available resources and personnel.
• No legal advice. Bay Tides does not provide legal counsel. If you need legal advice regarding environmental violations or whistleblower protections, please consult an attorney.

All reports submitted through the tipline must be made in good faith. This means:

• You genuinely believe the information you are reporting is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge
• You are not submitting reports with the intent to harass, defame, or cause harm to individuals or organizations
• You are not submitting deliberately false or fabricated information

Good faith does not require certainty. If you have a reasonable belief that something is wrong, we want to hear about it — even if you are not sure of all the details. It is better to report a concern that turns out to be unfounded than to stay silent about a genuine threat.

Knowingly false reports waste resources that could be used to address real environmental concerns and may be subject to removal from the platform.

If you have questions about this policy, how to submit a report, or anything related to the Bay Tides Secure Tipline, you can reach us through:

• Our contact page: baytides.org/contact
• The tipline messaging system: Use your receipt code to communicate directly through the platform

We welcome feedback on this policy and are always looking for ways to better serve and protect those who come forward with environmental concerns.